Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-08-23

of a railroad bill in which one or both of tbe,,
were personally interested, during the last bopIs
Of The session OF the Legislature when only m.
teen memtcrs were present, after having an.
nounccd that no other general legislation womb
be considered, and when they had thereby enc.
cccded in securing the absence of its known on.
p0nents.
1t would have been we'll if this convention If
the democratic managers had explained In Tia
people how it was that. when a democratic Ssna
tor indicted for felonious embezzement IN
KichGlOnd, his democratic associates repealed tF
law imposing penalty FOR such crime and enabled
him TO plead the repeal in bar Of his prosecution
and conviction.
Explanations and apologies rs to the st5r:1
ballot boxes and fraudulent counts in the COUNTIES
OF Charlotte, Halifax, Southampton, Isle of Win,
and elsewhere would have been grateful 10 tbo
csls of many OF the anxious citizens Of this Com.
mOnweath, who regardless of party, are BEGIN
ming to feel that with high-handed outragcs ~
this sort, daily practiced and unrebuked, popular
liberty is in danger, no matter in ThCsc telslf
these crimes are perpctrated.
1t would have been well for tho democratic
managers at Roanoke to have explained la n
people tho circumstances under which hi. ,..S
passed by tho democratic Legislature appropriate
over $50, 600 to the payment of an unjust ci,.t
of the Kendall Bank NOto Company. AMI :,s a.,
the parties who received portions of that nom,
1t would have been well to have told the lcnp.
now Ildly copies Oh inc proceedings with tie
English debt commissioners were printed. and Il.
cost thereof and how many were necessary ,,r
public purposes and how many We're used for pan.
titan or private ends.
Fellow citizens, such are some of the Reason,
wherefore VIC invite and cxhort you 10 an earnest
effort to cxpel from the control of your affairs the
managers of the democratic party To snch of
their principles they have professed lonl
enough to lay just claim to, we are opposed A.
to their pledges, our experience in tho past con.
viDces us that they sre given with every mcnt.l
reservation.
But for kingdom any oath may be bIoIfn.
"I'd break thousand oaths to reign one year
As to the practices OF this democracy, we submit
that its record of crimes and outagcs on suffrage
in the procurement Of power, and of incompe.
tency and bad administration in the exercise Of
that power when obtained. is stronger argument
than words
In many respects, we regard the recent Federal
successes of the democratic party fortunate igr
tho Southern people 1t has enabled them to ,tr
how wild and delusive was tho hope, so long hc!
up before their eyes, thtt democratic admins.
tration ut Washington could bring them blessings
or benefits comparable to those enjoyed under
republican administration. The course OF the
democratic federal administration in appointing
cOlorcd men to Office, has taken away the p-etcxt
ofOur advcrsarics by which they inilamed YOURS
prciudiccs until you voted tho democratic ticket
on the score that it WIS ''thc white mans party
In the full possession OF tho Goycrnmcnt-Satc
and fcdeIal-thc democratic party, which had
promised you untold happiness and prosperity
when this should come TO pass, behOldS you sur.
rounded by hard times, such rs You have seldom
witnessed, and offers you no explanations no.
apologies for Is broken promises The farmer
products are sold III lower prices than for many
years. The workingnan finds work more din
cult to procure and wages lower than he has ever
known them. Trade languishcs. Manufactures
al. &. l.
and the future is filled with darkness and uncer-
tainty. Amidst all this, democracy rules supreme
and the Roanoke convention congratulatcs yOU on
"thc enjoy ment of the blessings" of democratic
government-Statc and federal.
There is Il suggestive vaGuoness in tho spoci
cations as to what constitutes your enjoyment
and what sro tho particular blessings to which
they refer. There was an apparent lack of ap
probation of those blessings by the people in the
rcSG't Is of our Congressional elections last year
1t is possible, however, that they apathctic
then that II was no expression of their real feel
ines, and that we may gather the real enthusiast
of the people for democracy from the reccn! re-
suits in Kentucky!
Undismayed by these evidences of tho pOpularf-
ty of democratic iue, and trusting that we may be
forgiven If we disturb the unai0ycd happiness OF
the only class of people known to us who are in
the enjoyment al these blessings to wit the dem
ocratlc oilceholdcrs we respectfully submit this
address 20 tho people OF Virginia in the hope and
belief that before they resolve to vote again with
the democratic managers Of this State they will
ponder their statements, and recurring TO the past
contrast oug present condition with the prosper
" and content which pcrvaded our land nnder
the administration of the republican party
1t surely is chcapy won and an easily 70
tanned trust which reposcs in fancied security
upon cabal of sbifty trimmers who, denounciue
republicanism and protesting democracy. ne
luesced in the State republican platform in
1888 and have adopted the national republican
platform in 1887.
VIM. MALONE, Chat rnan.
ASA ROGERS, Secretary.
Petersburg, Ia, .ingNst Ism, 1857.